Discover Germany | Special Theme | Game Design Deluxe
Main image: Plunder Planet. Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken & Team. ZHdK, 2017. Top right: Meantime. Sonja Böckler; Michael Müller. ZHdK, 2016. Below right: Toni-Areal. Betty Fleck. ZHdK, 2015.
The game designers of the future The Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programme for tomorrow’s game designers. Their approach as part of an art university and with a focus on future job opportunities is extremely unique in Europe. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE
In the past ten years, the game industry has been growing like never before and startups keep appearing all over the world. However, it is still not easy to make a living from game designing itself. The ZHdK recognises this but equally sees an ongoing demand for interactive all-rounders in the world of virtual design, because our society is increasingly more digital-based. “We train all-rounders,” explains Maike Thies, research fellow for game design at the ZHdK. “When our students graduate, they actually have plenty of opportunities to apply what they have learned in various different sub-fields. For example, they work in design agencies, found their own startup, 28 | Issue 62 | May 2018
or even go into research.” Of course, some of the students also find the funding to realise their passion projects but they do not have to rely just on that. Both the three-semester Master and the six-semester Bachelor programme, promote a very interdisciplinary approach. To be able to collaborate or exchange ideas with students from different yet highly relevant fields such as architecture or music is a huge advantage and demonstrates even more so why game design should be part of an arts university. “Especially the collaborations between the game design students and those studying
music and composition is very important,” adds Thies. “The composers create the individual soundscape for our games tailored to the special requirements. This is a unique advantage because our games then simply sound different.” The course size is kept very small. Per semester there are 18 to 19 students in the Bachelor course and only five to eight in the Master, to ensure that each student has enough supervision and resources. Both courses welcome students from all over the world. Although German is the main teaching language, international applicants who are not yet fluent in German should not shy away from getting in touch. “We’re also part of the ERASMUS exchange programmes and are used to helping foreign students. Language courses are also available before the semester starts,” says Thies. “If you do a full-time Bachelor